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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — of the year
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com